


I Need You So

by redeyedwrath



Series: Sterek Tumblr Ficlets [14]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Fluff, M/M, Panic Attacks, Warning: Kate Argent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-27
Updated: 2016-08-27
Packaged: 2018-08-11 08:55:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7884754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redeyedwrath/pseuds/redeyedwrath
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which, your soulmate's thoughts appear on your arm</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Need You So

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I know I said yesterday's ficlet was going to be the last one in the next week but some people wanted a prequel/sequel so here I am! Because I'm a sucker for you guys :p
> 
>  **TW:** Panic attack, Kate Argent

Derek has never really felt much for the letters appearing on people’s arm. It seems like a roundabout way for the universe to bring people together, and it’s not even foolproof. How do you know for sure if the person who says they’re your soulmate is actually your soulmate?

Besides, age gaps are annoying. The thought-sharing only happens after both people have reached the age of sixteen and right now Derek is nineteen and he _still_ hasn’t seen his soulmate’s thoughts.

He switches off the tap, drying his hands with a towel. He’s on dishwashing duty today and it sucks. He’d much rather be sitting outside with the rest of his family, where the heat is more bearable and where there are no glaring reminders that he has no soulmarks yet.

He wipes his hair out of his eyes - he should get a haircut, probably - and he’s about to open the door to the backyard when the skin on the inside of his arm starts tingling. He gasps, holding onto his wrist as he watches the dark letters appear one by one.

‘ _Jesus I should use lube more often; I’m starting to chafe’_

He snorts, rubbing over the letters with soft, reverent fingers. His first soulmark, and it’s a comment about masturbating.

Derek’s already in love.

-

He feels pathetic. He’s nineteen years old and he’s crying because Kate - because she -

Fuck, he can’t even _think_ it, he feels so dirty and wrong and it’s all his fault, it’s all because of him, he’s the one who did something wrong and he doesn’t deserve anything, he doesn’t even deserve a soulmate.

He’s not good enough, he’s not good enough, _he’s not good enough_. His soulmate deserves better than him, he thinks as he feels the skin of his arm tingle again, from his wrist to his elbow.

He looks at the newest soulmark through blurry eyes, blinking a few times to see what it says because this is his _soulmate_ and they are the most important person in the universe even if Derek means nothing.

‘ _Whoever you are, I love you_ ’

He gasps, biting his lip to stifle the next sobs. His soulmate _loves_ him. His soulmate thinks he’s good enough. He grabs his arm and awkwardly huddles around it, like a substitute for a warm body.

The last thing he thinks before he passes out is _thank you_.

-

Derek does the only thing he can to make sure Stiles is his soulmate when he meets him. There isn’t going to be a repeat of the Kate, he needs to know if this is _real_. Because Stiles immediately caught his eye; he’s absolutely Derek’s type, all long limbs and pretty eyes.

He’s glad he did though, because now he _knows_ Stiles is his soulmate. Knows Stiles is the one whose thoughts have been appearing on his arm for the past three years, knows Stiles is the one who helped him out of his panic attack one time.

They’re living together now. They bought an apartment a while back in NYC - in the suburbs, because the rest was _crazy_ expensive - and Derek has almost forgotten about Kate when he runs into her at a Starbucks.

She looks just like she used to, wicked smile and long blond hair and Derek can feel his stomach drop as her stare turns to him, her eyes lighting up with something that Derek has long since learned is nothing like love.

 _Kate_ , he tries to think as hard as he can, clenching his hands into fists.

He’d told Stiles about Kate once, when Stiles had asked why he used to be so sad, so Stiles _knows_ what Kate did. Knows what she did to him.

He turns his arm over when he feels another one of Stiles’ thoughts appearing on his biceps, smiling tentatively when he sees the loopy writing.

‘ _I’m coming’_

He joins the end of the line, trying to ignore Kate as best as he can, but he can _feel_ the way her eyes are roving over him, tracing over the line of his shoulders like she’s allowed, like she can still do that.

He tenses involuntarily when he hears the click of her heels, smells the flower-y perfume she used to wear and he wishes she would just go away, his stomach turning.

“Well, hey there,” she says, voice deceptively sweet. “Look who grew up well.”

He clenches his jaw, trying not to react, because she’s not _worth_ it. She doesn’t deserve a response from him. He’s above that.

“It’s rude not to respond to someone,” she says, tutting and she steps into his space, her fingernail drawing a line in his skin. Derek feels like he’s about to throw up.

“Derek!” someone shouts from behind him and he breathes out a sigh of relief when Kate steps back. Stiles throws an arm around his middle, kissing him on the cheek. “Sorry I’m so late, I was held up at work.”

Derek nods, relaxing into Stiles’ hold. Stiles is _here_ and Kate doesn’t matter anymore, because Derek has his soulmate and Stiles loves him.

“Sorry, but I’m here for a date with my boyfriend and you’re bothering us,” Stiles says, sneering at Kate. She looks like she’s going to protest when someone calls her name. She takes one last look at them, blood-red lips curling up into a smile.

“I’ll see you around, Derek,” she says, winking. Derek tries to repress the shudder but he finds he can’t.

Stiles glares at her until she’s gone, his body remaining a tense line against Derek’s and Derek suddenly feels ridiculously guilty.

“Sorry,” he mumbles. “I didn’t mean to bother you.”

Instead of pulling away, like he’d expected Stiles to do, he pulls him close, the arm around his waist tightening.

“Hey,” Stiles says, placing a finger under Derek’s chin and forcing Derek to look at him. There’s a small, sad smile on Stiles’ face, and he’s about to apologize when Stiles kisses his forehead. “I don’t mind, okay? You’re more important to me than anything else.”

Derek smiles back, cupping Stiles’ jaw and kissing him for real this time. Stiles’ thumb rubs over his cheek before he pulls back, smiling softly at him.

“I love you,” he says, and Derek kisses him again.

-

Derek has never really felt much for the letters appearing on people’s arm. It seems like a roundabout way for the universe to bring people together. But, he thinks he sees the appeal when Stiles takes to thinking one thing every few minutes, just so it doesn’t disappear.

‘ _I love you so much_ ’

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it! This turned out to be way more sappy yet way more angsty than I thought it'd be...
> 
> Please leave a comment ^^
> 
>  
> 
> [Also I have a Tumblr? For if y'all ever wanna talk to me/see me cry about Tyler Hoechlin](http://demisexualhale.tumblr.com)


End file.
